Analysis Of The Rabbit Proof Fence

Since the European settlement of Australia, the Indigenous people have been represented in a myriad of ways. The Rabbits (1998), an allegorical picture book by John Marsden (writer) and Shaun Tan (illustrator) and Rabbit Proof Fence (2002), a film directed by Phillip Noyce, are just two examples of this. Techniques such as music, changing camera angles and symbolism are utilised in Rabbit Proof Fence to represent the Aboriginal people as strong-willed and spiritual and in The Rabbits, exaggeration, different colour themes and perspective are used to portray the Aborigines as technologically inferior and overwhelmed against the Europeans. In both texts, the Indigenous people are represented as

The Rabbits, a picture book written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan, is an allegory for the British arriving in Australia and the subsequent colonisation. From the perspective of the indigenous population, Marsden explores the impact of white settlement on the traditional aboriginal way of life. This is achieved through the symbolism, colours and language.

These two text convey the connections of the Indigenous people (numbats) and their connection to land and the settlers (rabbits). Bad Blood by Casey lever is a dual-narrative meaning that it is told from two characters perspectives from 2 points in time. The Rabbits written by John Marsden and illustrated by Shaun Tan is an allegory picture book which displays a variety of visual and narrative techniques, hidden messages which illustrate the connection of these two groups of very different people. The themes how the past impacts on the present and racism can be connected to Australia’s complex history through a variety of texts that explore the minority’s view from the past.

‘The Sapphires’ by Wayne Blair was the trigger that led my research into the effects of the Stolen Generation on Aboriginals in Australia. This film is about an Aboriginal singing group who want to make a name for themselves, but find it difficult because of the racism against them. This film also tells the stories of their cousin Kay, who was a half-caste and was stolen from her Aboriginal family at a young age to be taught the ways of white people, and forget her culture. This film made me realise that I am lucky to live in a country where racism of such an extent in which children are stolen from their indigenous families, isn’t part of our history, and has not affected me personally. From my research, I have found six main sources that have helped me to understand how large this problem was and continues to be. My sources: ‘The Sapphires’ by Wayne Blair; a film about a group of Aboriginal singers who are affected by racism which is based on a real life singing group; ‘The Sorry Speech’, by Kevin Rudd who was the Prime Minister of Australia in 2008 who explains the damage and apologises for the way that the actions of past governments tore apart the lives of their indigenous people. Then there is ‘Blind Eye,’ the documentary in which people who were stolen are interviewed and tell their stories. The film, ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ this tells the story of two girls who were stolen and gives us insight into how brutally that they were treated after being ripped apart from

Government policies authorising the removal of Aboriginal children have caused extensive and unrepairable damage to every aspect of Indigenous culture. It could be argued that the emotional turmoil which occurred as a result of this policy, is greater than any physical abused ever faced by the Australian Aboriginal people. The act of child removal would be a scarring experience for parents and children of any race or culture. This policy had a particularly damaging impact on the Indigenous people as their identity is based within a set of strong traditional guides and teachings. These lessons are not recorded, but can only be taught through speaking with elders and learning through a connection to others within the mob, connection to art forms

Throughout the process of colonization, the Native people in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, Silas Hagerty’s documentary Dakotah 38, and Phillip Noyce’s film Rabbit-Proof Fence, all cope with the on going struggles of being colonized against their will. All three of these sources tell their own, different stories about their same struggles. In both Things Fall Apart and Dakotah 38, the colonizing people create a sense of doubt in the Natives’ cultures; whereas in Rabbit-Proof Fence, the people fight to hold their beliefs by continuing to practice their own traditions.

Discuss the symbolism and motifs in the ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’. What do they represent and how do they contribute to the story?

‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ was the story of a 3 young Aboriginal girls who were taken from their homes because they were ‘half castes’ and then their long walk home following the rabbit proof fence. The idea of the government taking children from their homes and placing them into the care of white people in the hope of them losing their cultural beliefs was stronger. This idea of them being changed was evident with quotes such as “This is your new home. We don't use that jabber here. You speak English” providing the idea of whites being dominant through their values.

What is bias? Provide example of bias on the part of one of the characters in the film, as well as examples of your biases when watching the film.

In the movie “Rabbit-Proof Fence” there were many things that showed univerality. Universality is the idea that some cultural traits are the same for all humans and creatures. Some examples of universality in the world is myths, language, and music. The universality that the movie showed was determination to complete a goal and communication. In the movie the three girls and Neville both had a goal they wanted to complete.

The 2001 film, Rabbit Proof Fence, is based off of the true story of three little girls, Molly, Daisy and Gracie, that were taken away from their families because they were of mixed races. In 1931, Western Australia, the area's Chief Protector of Aborigines, Neville, tries to breed out the Aboriginal race. To do this he finds and takes all mixed race children, half-castes, away from their homes and into settlements to prepare them for life in white society. Many children were never saw their families ever again and on top of that these settlements were abusive if you tried to run away. The Australian government should pay reparation to the remaining survivors of “the stolen generation” because of the emotional and physical abuse inflicted upon them as well as marginalizing them.

Rabbit-Proof Fence, a great film educating people about the horrible event that was the Stolen Generation. They took many things from the indigenous Australians like freedom, culture and innocence. Here are some examples of this during the film.

For this book review I chose to read the novel called The Rabbit-Proof Fence by an Australian author named Doris Pilkington. I really had no other reason why I chose this novel other than the fact that when I saw the title as The Rabbit-Proof Fence from the lists of books we can choose from, I immediately thought of the State Barrier Fence of Western Australia also known as the Rabbit-Proof Fence that was originally intended to contain rabbit population on one side and the farmer’s land on the other, when vermins became a problem in October of 1895. I wanted to know what this “Rabbit-Proof Fence” has got to do with our topic in class of multiculturalism.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) a film based on a true story by Australian director Philip Noyce set in Western Australia in 1931 is a very mean and angry attack on the Australian government's in order for "the science of creating better races of people" policy toward mixed-race people. Continuing policies begun by the British, the white government in Australia for sixty years forcibly removed all mixed-race (people that have existed from the beginning in Australia) from their families to “better improve them”. They were sent to government camps to be raised as servants, converted to Christianity, and eventually blended in into white (community of people/all good people in the world).

Boaz Yakin’s film ‘Remember the Titans’ and Philips Noice’s ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’, both show the protagonist’s leadership creating change in a number of different ways. Remember The Titans shows that leaders can create change within people and change their view of other people. Also the plot in Rabbit Proof Fence explores the ways leaders can help change, and create better futures for those around them. Also leaders and others can still be successful without changing everyone which was shown on multiple occasions throughout the film.